Orlando Brown Jr. says his body is in the best shape it has been in during his NFL career as the Bengals move deeper into training camp and into a season that carries real weight for Cincinnati.
Brown turned 30 on May 2 and is entering his eighth season in the league, but the left tackle said the usual mileage hasn’t caught up to him the way it might have at other points in his career. After Cincinnati’s first padded practice of camp, he was blunt about where he stands physically.
“I feel great. It’s the best my body has felt during my career,” Brown said after the Bengals’ first padded practice of training camp.
“I just turned 30, which is crazy to say. Training camp has been really good.”
That’s an encouraging sign for a player the Bengals need to hold up at a high level. Brown is the blindside protector for Joe Burrow and a multi-year team captain, and Cincinnati made sure he stays in place by giving him a two-year extension this offseason that keeps him with the team through the 2028 season.
Brown said getting that deal done was important because it lets him lock in on the job in front of him.
“I’ve just been focusing on everything that I need to do to be more consistent for us as a team, a leader and a left tackle,” Brown Jr. said.
The Bengals are counting on that consistency after missing the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. If Brown and the rest of the offensive line can keep Burrow clean, Cincinnati’s offense should be among the league’s best.
There’s also a bigger picture to this camp. The Bengals want to get back to being more explosive on offense, and Brown said that’s been a clear emphasis as the team enters its second week of training camp. He said the energy has shown up early in practice, with a more competitive feel over the first few days.
Cincinnati has the kind of continuity most teams would love to have. The Bengals return all 11 starters on offense and are working with the same coaching staff. Brown pointed out that stability matters, especially with Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cleveland all dealing with new head coaches and coordinators in the AFC North.
Up front, Brown said the Bengals want to be more “physical” in both the run game and pass game.
“I’ve been stressing the importance of us setting the tone and the intensity,” he said.
The line will keep getting work when the Bengals practice Aug. 4 before an off day on Aug. 5. Brown and Cincinnati’s starting offensive line are set to keep taking competitive reps against the new-look defensive line.
“At the end of the day, it’s about us and our preparation,” Brown said.
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Bengals Camp Just Raised A New Concern In The Secondary
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Bengals Camp Debate Keeps Growing Around One Thin Position Group
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NFL.coms recent look at available options pointed to Kyle Van Noy as a name that could make sense, citing his experience and recent production, while Bobby Wagner also came up as another high-profile possibility. Cincinnati has not made that move yet, but the longer the market sits there, the more the discussion feels like one of the camps lingering debates rather than a passing thought. [Read more 🡒]